256 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 7, Ch. 9
devotees who act according to the instructions of His own pure devotee.
In other words, one must become the servant of the servant of the ser-
vant of the Lord. If one wants to become the servant of the Lord directly,
this is not as fruitful as engaging in the service of the Lord’s servant.
This is the direction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who shows us the way
to become gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasadnudasah. One should
not be proud of becoming directly the servant of the Supreme Per-
sonality of Godhead. Rather, one must seek a pure devotee, a servant of
the Lord, and engage oneself in the service of such a servant. The more
one becomes the servant of the servant, the more one becomes perfect in
devotional service. This is also the injunction of Bhagavad-gitd: evarh
parampara-praptam imam rdjarsayo viduh. One can understand the
science of the Supreme Personality of Godhead simply by the parampara
system. In this regard, Srila Narottama dasa Thakura says, tdrdera
carana sevi bhakta-sane vasa: ‘‘Let me serve the lotus feet of the devo-
tees of the Lord, and let me live with devotees.” Janame janame haya, ei
abhildsa. Following Narottama dasa Thakura, one should aspire to be a
servant of the Lord’s servant, life after life. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
also sings, tumi ta’ thakura, tomara kukura, baliya janaha more: “O my
Lord, O Vaisnava, please consider me your dog.”’ One must become the
dog of a Vaisnava, a pure devotee, for a pure devotee can deliver Krsna
without difficulty. Krsna se tomara, krsna dite para. Krsna is the prop-
erty of His pure devotee, and if we take shelter of a pure devotee, he can
deliver Krsna very easily. Prahlada wants to engage in the service of a
devotee, and therefore he prays to Krsna, “My dear Lord, kindly give me
the shelter of Your very dear devotee so that I may engage in his service
and You may then be pleased.” Mad-bhakta-pijabhyadhika
(Bhag. 11.19.21). The Lord says, “Engaging in the service of My devo-
tee is better than trying to engage in My devotional service.”

Another significant point in this verse is that by devotional service
Prahlada Maharaja does not want to benefit alone. Rather, he prays to the
Lord that all of us fallen souls in this material world may, by the grace of
the Lord, engage in the service of His servant and thus be delivered. The
grace of the Lord is not at all difficult for the Lord to bestow, and thus
Prahlada Maharaja wants to save the whole world by spreading Krsna
consciousness.
